Kristine Joy Chua

Biography

Kristine Joy Chua is a biological anthropologist and Director of the Reproductive Biology and Culture Laboratory at Notre Dame. She combines evolutionary and biocultural anthropology perspectives to understand how chronic stress “gets under the skin” during pregnancy. She utilizes methods from anthropology, biology, and public health to explore the social and biological factors that create and sustain peri- and postnatal inequities in addition to studying the role that cultural practices play in shaping health norms. Kristine works closely with pregnant Filipina mothers in the Philippines and pregnant mothers in Southern California. Current research questions include: (1) how does the maternal immune system respond to fetal cells circulating throughout pregnancy (co-director: Amy Boddy, UCSB); (2) how do pregnant Filipina mothers respond to stress from their socio-political environment; (3) how are definitions of stress and coping mechanisms impacted by cultural attitudes; and (4) what conditions could preterm birth be an adaptive response for mothers.